Weekend Races 11th - 13th Nov 2016

Races This Weekend -  13 races so far! Where are you Running?

Here's the list of running races on by county this coming weekend. If there are any that I've missed, just chat a message below and I'll update.

Connaught

Mayo
Saturday 12th / Sunday 13th - Belleek Marathon Challenge - Relay Marathon / Half Marathon / Marathon

Leinster

Dublin

Sunday 13th - Remembrance Run - 5K

Sunday 13th - Gonzaga College Fun Run - 10K

Longford

Sunday 13th - Derrycassan Woods - 5K / 10K

Wexford
Sunday 13th - Raven Run, Curracloe - 5K
Raven Run in Curracloe is now cancelled due to low numbers. However, the organisers are doing a free group run at the Point of the Raven. This was a charity fundraiser, so for the free run, you can donate to Wexford Marine Watch - this is optional.

Munster

Kerry
Saturday 12th - Kerry Crusaders, Listowel - Half Marathon / 10K

Limerick
Saturday 12th - Ballyhoura Active Duathlon - 6K run / 6K cycle

Cork
Saturday 12th - Eyeries road race - 5Mile

Sunday 13th - Thomas Kent Memorial, Castlelyons - 10K

Sunday 13th - Cork BHAA HSE, Ballinhassig - 4Mile

Ulster

Antrim
Friday 13th - Centra Run Together Pairs Event - 5K

Armagh
Sunday 13th - King of Gullion - 10K

Down

Saturday 12th - Tollymore Trail Marathon Events - 10K / Half / Full / Ultra Marathon (Trail)

Weekend Races 4th - 6th Nov 2016

Races This Weekend -  16 races so far! Where are you Running?

Here's the list of running races on by county this coming weekend. If there are any that I've missed, just chat a message below and I'll update.

Connaught

Galway
Saturday 5th - Turf Warrior Challenge - 8K / 10K (adventure race)

Saturday 5th - Run for Mary - 5K

Sunday 6th - Corofin Winning Ways - 8K

Leinster

Dublin

Saturday 5th - Mo Run - 5K / 10K

Sunday 6th - Brain Tumour Ireland - 5K / 10K

Wicklow
Saturday 5th - Glendalough Trail Race - 15.5K / 10.8K (Trail)

Kildare

Sunday 6th - Nunney GAA - 5K / 10K 

Munster

Kerry
Saturday 5th - Rás an Oireachtais - 5K

Clare
Saturday 5th - Shannon Town Utd AFC - 5K / 10K

Cork
Sunday 6th - Valley Rovers Camogie Club - 7K

Ulster

Antrim
Saturday 5th - McConnel Shield, Ballyclare - 3Mile / 5Mile

Saturday 5th - Run Forest Run Minnowburn - 5K / 10K

Sunday 6th - Mo Run - 5K / 10K

Sunday 6th - Decathlon Running Series - 10K

Armagh
Sunday 6th - Forkhill GAA Run - 5K / 10K

Tyrone

Sunday 6th - Get to Muck - 5K (adventure race)

Weekend Races 28th - 30th Oct 2016

Races This Weekend -  13 races so far! Where are you Running?

                                                                                                                               

FEATURE RACE - SSE Airtricity Dublin City Marathon

This week the feature race of the weekend is the Dublin City Marathon.

There's not much more to say about the Dublin Marathon that's not already well covered online, voted our marathon of the year on this website for 2015. Best of luck to the near 20,000 runners taking part.

For anyone else who has dreams of running it, keep in mind the growth in popularity now. The Dublin marathon is one of the top marathons in Europe, and soon we might see a ballot system introduced. But for now, get out there and cheer everyone on!

LINK TO ROUTE

                                                                                                                                

Here's the list of running races on by county this coming weekend. If there are any that I've missed, just chat a message below and I'll update.

Connaught

Roscommon
Sunday 30th - Croghan Charity Run - 5K / 10K

Sligo
Sunday 30th - Zombie Run - 5K

Leinster

Dublin

Sunday 30th - SSE Airtricity Dublin City Marathon - Marathon (Winner of Marathon of the Year)

Sunday 30th - Malahide Castle, Run for your Lives - 5K (Adventure Race)

Laois
Sunday 30th - Coolrain Family Run - 6K

Munster

Clare
Saturday 29th - Halloween Howler, Ennis - 5K

Limerick
Sunday 30th - Cook Medical, Women's Mini Marathon  - 10K

Cork
Saturday 29th - Ghostbusters charity run - 5K

Ulster

Fermanagh

Friday 28th - Spooktacular Run, Enniskillen - 5K

Antrim
Friday 28th - Monster Dash - 1Mile / 5K

Armagh
Saturday 29th - Conquer the Cairn - 5Mile (Trail Race)

Down

Saturday 29th - Moira Monster Dash - 5K / 10K

Sunday 30th - Running Scared, Belfast - 2K / 10K

Weekend Races 21st - 23rd Oct 2016

Races This Weekend -  15 races so far! Where are you Running?

                                                                                                                               

FEATURE RACE - Belfast Telegraph, RunHer - 10K / 5K

This week the feature race of the weekend is the Belfast Telegraph, RunHer Titanic 10K / 5K event in Belfast.

The Runher returns to Titanic Quarter on Sunday 23rd October 2016 with 5k and 10k events. There is a new 10k route which is flat, fast and fun.

LINK TO WEBSITE

                                                                                                                                

Here's the list of running races on by county this coming weekend. If there are any that I've missed, just chat a message below and I'll update.

Connaught

N/A

Leinster

Dublin

Friday 21st - Dublin Disco Run - 5K

Wicklow

Saturday 22nd - Wicklow Hospice Marathon - Half Marathon / Full Marathon

Longford

Saturday 22nd - October MudFest - 6K / 10K (adventure race)

Wexford
Sunday 23rd - Lake Region Charity Run - 4Mile

Meath

Sunday 23rd - Longwood Village - 5K / 10K

Kilkenny

Saturday 22nd - Reign of Terror - 5K (adventure race)

Sunday 23rd - St. Brigids College, Callan, Fun Run - 5K / 10K

Munster

Limerick
Saturday 22nd - Dromtrasna Challenge - 10K

Kerry
Saturday 22nd - Killarney Glow Neon Run

Tipperary
Sunday 23rd - Clonmel, Buggy Brigade Fun Run - 5K

Ulster

Fermanagh

Saturday 22nd - Orchard Farm FC, Tempo - 5K / 10K

Donegal

Sunday 23rd - New Mills - 10K

Cavan

Sunday 23rd - Shercock AC - 5K /10K

Down

Sunday 23rd - Belfast Telegraph Runher - 5K / 10K

Derry

Sunday 23rd - St Colmcilles, Spooky Sprint - 1Mile / 5K

Weekend Races 14th - 16th Oct 2016

Races This Weekend -  18 races so far! Where are you Running?

                                                                                                                               

FEATURE RACE - Leisureworld Rebel Run - 10K / 5K

This week the feature race of the weekend is the Leisureword Rebel Run 10K / 5K event in Bishopstown, Cork.

This is the 5th year that this event is being run. It will be a popular event, as it is on a fast route and there is a dry fit top for the 10K finishers. There are no entries on the day, but you can enter via the link below.

LINK TO REGISTRATION

                                                                                                                                

Here's the list of running races on by county this coming weekend. If there are any that I've missed, just chat a message below and I'll update.

Connaught

Galway
Friday 14th - Croi Galway Night Run - 5K

Sunday 16th - North East Galway - 10K

Sligo
Saturday 15th - Coney Island Challenge - 15K / 10K

Leinster

Louth

Sunday 16th - Glenmore AC, Kearney and McBride - 5K

Meath

Sunday 16th - Meath/Dublin border run - 5K / 10K

Kilkenny

Sunday 16th - Graigue-Ballycallan AC family fun run - 5K / 10K

Carlow
Sunday 16th - Carlow Rugby Run - 2K / 5K / 10K

Munster

Kerry
Sunday 16th - Churchill GAA fun run - 6K

Cork

Saturday 15th - Skibbereen Charity Adventure Race - Adventure Race

Sunday 16th - Leisureworld Rebel Run - 10K / 5K

Clare
Sunday 16th - Bernie Meaney Memorial Run - 5K

Ulster

Monaghan

Sunday 16th - Ballybay - 5Mile

Fermanagh

Sunday 16th - Run for Oisin - 10K / 5K

Antrim

Saturday 16th - Centra Run Together Pairs Event

Down

Saturday 15th - Red High School, Downpatrick - 10K

Sunday 16th - King of Gullion, Newry - 10K

Tyrone

Sunday 15th - Loughshore Run - 5K / 10K / Half Marathon

Derry

Saturday 15th - Earhart Flying 5k - 5K

Weekend Races 7th - 9th Oct 2016

Races This Weekend -  29 races so far! Where are you Running?

                                                                                                                               

FEATURE RACE - Marie Keating / Pigsback.com 5K / 10K

This week the feature race of the weekend is the Marie Keating, Pigsback.com 10K / 5K event in the Phoneix Park.

The Pigsback 5k/10k Run in aid of the Marie Keating Foundation is back again! Registration starts at 8am - the race will begin at 10am and follow the Operation Transformation route. Its chip timed, there will be loads of prizes and all proceeds go to the Marie Keating Foundation!

LINK TO REGISTRATION

                                                                                                                                

Here's the list of running races on by county this coming weekend. If there are any that I've missed, just chat a message below and I'll update.

Connaught

Galway
Saturday 8th - Moycullen Harvest Run - 5K

Saturday 8th - Rás Chonamara - 10K

Sunday 9th - Madra Doggy Dash - 5K

Roscommon
Sunday 9th - Tarmonbarry - Half Marathon / 8K

Mayo
Sunday 9th - Breaffy - 10K

Leinster

Meath

Sunday 9th - Irish 3/4 Marathon, Enfield - 3/4 Marathon

Wicklow

Saturday 8th - Glendalough AC, Run the Ridge - 20K / 8K (trail run)

Wexford

Sunday 9th - Ferns Half Marathon

Sunday 9th - Bunscoil Loreto - 5K

Dublin

Sunday 9th - Marie Keating Road Race - 5K / 10K

Kilkenny

Sunday 9th - Threecastles Hill and Back - 5K / 10K

Kildare

Saturday 8th - Donadea Forest - 10K

Saturday 8th - Kill GAA, Colour Run - 5K

Carlow
Sunday 9th - Tullow Community School - 5K / 10K

Munster

Kerry
Friday 7th - Kerry Airport Runway - 5K

Saturday 8th - Valentia Island - Half Marathon / 10K

Limerick
Sunday 9th - St Michaels Rowing Club - 10K / 5K

Cork

Saturday 8th - Bernie Young Memorial Run - 6K

Sunday 9th - Cork Woodland Race - 5K (trail run)

Sunday 9th - Cork City FC - 5K

Ulster

Fermanagh
Sunday 9th - Teemore GFC - Half Marathon / 10K / 5K

Antrim
Saturday 8th - Toomebridge, St Oliver Plunketts School Run -

Down
Saturday 8th - Gr8 Dundrum Run - 8Miles

Sunday 9th - Ceathrun Gaeltachta, Belfast - 10K

Armagh

Sunday 9th - Armagh Adidas 10 Mile Road Race - 10Mile / 4Mile

Tyrone

Saturday 8th - Badoney Ladies GFC - 5K

Sunday 9th - Dungannon Clarkes Town Run - 5K

Derry

Sunday 9th - The Jungle Zombie Run - 5K

Sunday 9th - Live Life Lisa Orsi Foundation - 5K

Dublin Half Marathon

With over 9,000 entrants this year, the SSE Airtricity Dublin Half Marathon is the largest half marathon in Ireland and one of the largest races in the country. Therefore it is interesting to take a look at the changing patterns in the race over the past 10 years, as it's a good representation of how running in the country has developed.

The Numbers

It'll be no surprise to learn that the number of entrants to the Half Marathon have grown steadily over the years. So too have the number of finishers, as displayed below. Actually when you look at 2015 and 2016, it would seem that popularity has increased even further:

Finishing Times

Are we getting slower? Probably not, although the average finishing time (based on chip timing) is a lot longer than 2007, this is most likely down to the fact that the 2,454 finishers in 2007 were probably closer to elite runners (running wasn't as popular). Whereas the increase in numbers up to this year has probably added more "casual runners" (like myself), hence the average times increase, see below:

Running Groups / Clubs - do they help?

This is not an exact science, but I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the performance of people who run in a club or running group against those that do not. There is a natural expectation that the average times of those in running clubs would be faster, because most, if not all, the elites will be members of clubs. At the same time, this balances out, as some of the running groups are targeted at first time runners looking to finish, rather than chasing a time.

• 2016
• Average Time of non-affiliated runners: 02:00:11
• Average Time of affiliated runners: 01:55:35

• 2015
• Average Time of non-affiliated runners: 01:58:24
• Average Time of affiliated runners: 01:53:25

In both years the runners associated with clubs or groups are on average 5 minutes faster than those that are not.

Male versus Female Runners

The increase in the number of finishers over the past 10 years has been heavily driven by more women entering the race. In 2007, 32% of the total finishers were women (just under 800). In 2016, 41% of the total finishers were women (just under 2,900).

Finishers from Groups and Clubs

Finally, for a bit of fun, here's the list of the running groups and clubs with the most amount of finishers this year. I'm not going to compare times here, because really that would be done as a team event, so a bit unfair to retrospectively do it. Here are the top participant clubs/groups:

Top 10 Athletics Clubs

Top 3 Running Groups